Buffalo Man Sentenced for Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

BUFFALO, N.Y.—A city man was locked up behind bars for his role in a major cocaine trafficking operation.

Joseph Lopez, 44, of Buffalo, was sentenced to nine years in prison by Chief U.S. District Court Judge William M. Skretny for his crime.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation led by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, Lopez was arrested after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo on November 3, 2011.

During the search, officers seized a staggering 400 grams of cocaine, along with approximately $8,000 in U.S. currency, and three firearms.

Lynch stated that Lopez’s arrest was the result of a lengthy investigation that targeted the city’s cocaine trafficking scene.

With Lopez behind bars, authorities hope to disrupt the supply chain of cocaine in the city and bring other traffickers to justice.

The investigation and subsequent prosecution of Lopez highlights the ongoing efforts of local and federal law enforcement agencies to combat the scourge of cocaine trafficking in Western New York.

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